Liz Lemon is feisty as ever in the first look at the upcoming 30 Rock special.
It seemed like the alter ego of writer/star Tina Fey hadn’t changed a bit, seen confronting a random, maskless New Yorker in the 40-second teaser.
The upcoming special will double as a showcase for NBCUniversal’s upcoming programming, replacing the TV industry’s traditional Upfront events.
Stuck in her ways: It looked like Liz Lemon hadn’t changed a bit as she argued with a random New Yorker n the first look at the upcoming 30 Rock reunion
Liz is ornery as ever as she crosses paths with a mask-free man on the sidewalk.
Throwing up her arms in disgust, the head writer of TGS says: ‘No mask? Huh Chet?’
‘Were in an open air system,’ the dude – who donned a baseball tee that said ‘I crushed laser tag at Rick’s birthday’ – snaps back.
Lemon’s temper flares, prompting her to tear off her mask to reveal a more intimidating layer below.
‘You scared of the virus now?’ she asks while jumping forward clad in a photo-realistic mask of her own grimace.
C’mon dude! Liz is ornery as ever as she crosses paths with a mask-free man on the sidewalk
Growl: As Lemon’s temper flares, she tears off her mask to reveal a more intimidating layer below
Don’t hassle me! Flustered, the man runs off, telling Liz: ‘I already had corona! I was on my way to donate plasma!’
Still got it! Deciding this is a small victory, Lemon rejoices saying: ‘Boom! Another successful interaction with a man!’
Flustered, the man runs off, telling Liz: ‘I already had corona! I was on my way to donate plasma!’
Deciding this is a small victory, Lemon rejoices saying: ‘Boom! Another successful interaction with a man!’
The teaser goes on to reveal Alec Baldwin as TV exec Jack Donaghy, Tracy Morgan’s character Tracy Jordan, Jane Krakowski as diva Jenna Maroney and Jack McBrayer as page-turned-network bigwig Kenneth.
The hour-long, pre-recorded and scripted special is set to air July 16th in place of NBCUniversal’s usual in-person Upfronts, where casts, creators, advertisers and the media gather together to preview next year’s offerings.
Jack attack: The teaser goes on to reveal Alec Baldwin as TV exec Jack Donaghy
High maintenance: Jane Krakowski is back as diva Jenna Maroney
Tracy time: Tracy Morgan will reprise hill role as Tracy Jordan
Moving on up: Jack McBrayer returns as page-turned-network bigwig Kenneth
The show will get wide exposure, set to rebroadcast across fellow NBCUniversal networks USA, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, Syfy and CNBC following its NBC premiere. It will also be available on Peacock, the NBCUnivesal streaming service.
30 Rock creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock were thrilled to have the chance to bring their cast back together, saying: ‘We’re all happy to have this excuse to (remotely) work together again for NBC.
‘To quote Kenneth the Page, there are only two things we love in this world, television and everyone.’
The reunion comes in the wake of some controversy for the show, which had four episode featuring blackface removed from streaming platforms last month.
Evolving: The hour-long, pre-recorded and scripted special is set to air July 16th in place of NBCUniversal’s usual in-person Upfronts, where casts, creators, advertisers and the media gather together to preview next year’s offerings
Yanked: The reunion comes in the wake of some controversy for the show, which had four episode featuring blackface removed from streaming platforms last month
Fey addressed the episodes’ removal in a letter sent to streaming platforms and obtained by Variety.
‘As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation,’ she wrote.
‘I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images. I apologize for pain they have caused.
‘Going forward, no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness. I thank NBCUniversal for honoring this request,’ she concluded.
In addition to disappearing from streaming services and digital rental outlets, the offending episodes will no longer be broadcast on television.
In one episode of 30 Rock, Jane Krakowski wore blackface to dress as former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann, while her boyfriend (guest star Will Forte) dressed as Natalie Portman in a spoof of her film Black Swan
In another episode, regular guest star Jon Hamm blackened his skin in a sketch critiquing the racist television series and radio show Amos ‘n’ Andy